Before & After: Interior stylist renovates dated kitchen in 1950s Buckinghamshire home

The Editors
·3-min read
neutral kitchen makeover in 1950s three bedroom semi in buckinghamshire
Interior stylist renovates dated kitchen Jon Green

An interior stylist and her husband transformed a dated kitchen in their three-bedroom 1950s semi into a stylish, light-filled space with plenty of storage – and they designed it themselves online.

Who lives here

Anna Mackie-East, a freelance interior stylist, lives in a 1950s three-bedroom semi-detached house in Buckinghamshire with her husband Matthew, daughter Matilda and rescue dog Gina.

Before

'The kitchen was very eighties in style with a huge yellow cooker hood, orange pine units and beige flooring. It was dark and oppressive and in desperate need of an update,' says Anna.

interior view of a kitchen with wooden units and yellow walls with some tiled areas
Before Jon Green

Why did you decide to renovate your kitchen?

We wanted it to feel like a nice place to cook in, as we have a toddler and spend a lot of time at home. Initially, we intended to knock through the wall between the kitchen and the living room to allow more light to flow through the space, but as that would have involved renovating the entire ground floor in one go, we decided to do it in stages, starting with the kitchen.

copper pans fresh herbs and garlic hanging from a brass rail with a white shelf directly above
A shelf and brass rail display kitchenware Jon Green

Where did you find inspiration?

Over the years, I’ve styled photoshoots in many amazing location houses and have always taken note of the looks I liked for future reference. We visited a few kitchen showrooms to get a feel of what’s out there and different price points, and, alongside moodboarding and pinning, I started collecting samples of materials I wanted to include.

a console table displaying a vase of flowers painted canvas and fresh fruit
A white painted console table with a natural wood top works for display and extra preparation space in the kitchen Jon Green

What were your non-negotiables design-wise?

Plenty of hidden storage as I wanted to keep the worktops clear. While open shelving is lovely for curating aesthetically pleasing objects, unless you have lots of cupboards and drawers to stash the more unsightly items, it’s not practical.

preparation area in kitchen with wooden chopping boards and vegetables
Wooden chopping boards are ideal for protecting the quartz worktop Jon Green

How did you settle on your ideal layout?

Thanks to the DIY Kitchens online tool, we were able to design it ourselves. Matthew spent weeks measuring and drawing it up, and I planned where every pan and utensil would go until we felt we had the right combination of storage and functional flow. We also mocked up visuals and I layered finishes onto them to make my final decisions.

fitted units including larder in pale pink kitchen with white floorboards
The cavenous larder cupboard is perfect for keeping kitchen equipment and store cupboard essentials tidy Jon Green

Did you face any unexpected challenges?

We were unable to move an old chimney due to the cost, which dictated some of the layout. This meant we ended up with a half-depth tall cupboard that couldn’t accommodate a stacked oven, though I was keen on a range cooker anyway.

white farmhouse sink and adjoining kitchen units with views out to the garden
This classic Belfast sink brings a heritage feel Jon Green

Tell us your favourite element of the kitchen?

The quartz worktop and splashback add something special to a neutral design. I spent weeks agonising over stone samples, but we’re so happy with what we went for, and in fact, the whole kitchen!

SOURCEBOOK

COST

  • Cabinetry £6,937

  • Worktops £5,040

  • Paint £300

  • Sink £299

  • Tap £777

  • Appliances £3,292

  • Flooring £250

  • Lighting £250

  • Ironmongery £300

  • Sockets & Switches £50

  • Total = £17,495

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